Type-writer cabinet



2Sheets-Sheet 1..

J. KIT-FER.

TYPE WRITER CABINET.

N0. 408 8285. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

:W i W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB KIEFER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

TYPE-WRITER CABINET.

V SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,385, dated August6, 1889.

Application filed geptembcr 20, 1888.

T0 caZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB KIEFER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fail-field and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inType-IVriter Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the in vent-ion, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention has for its object to provide a typo-writer cabinet whichshall be perfectly dust-proof, and in which any style of typewriter maybe placed out of the way not in use without appreciable loss ofdeskroom.

IVith these ends in view I have devised the novel construction, of whichthe following de scription, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, numbers being used to denote the severalparts.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a desk with the type-writer cabinet closed;Fig. 2, a perspective showing the cabinet in the fully-opened position;Fig. 3, a section at the left of the center, the position of the partscorresponding with Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a similar section, the parts being atan intermediate posit-ion as in opening and closing the cabinet, thesliding table being raised but not moved forward; Fig. 5, a similarsection, the parts being in the closed position; Fig. 6, a plan View ofthe sliding table detached, and Fig. 7 is a section of the table 011 theline 00 a; in Fig. 6.

Similar numbers denote the same parts in allthe figures.

1 denotes the desk,which may be of the ordinary or any suitableconstruction, and 2 the top thereof. Beneath the top, at some distanceback from the front of the desk,is a compartment 3, which I make ofsuitable shape and size to receive the type-writer and to permit thecover 1 4 to close the cabinet, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The cover ismade in two parts, the front portion (denoted by 4) being hinged to theback portion, and the latter (denoted by 4) being hinged near the backof the desk, as is clearly shown in the drawings. The edges of the coverare undercut to engage shoulders 5 at the sides. Near the front of thecover is a downwardly-projecting front piece 6, which fills the entireerial No. 285,849. (No model.)

space between the sides of the chamber, the lower edge thereof restingupon a ledge 7 at the front of the desk and below the top thereof, thisledge and the front wall of the compartment which joins it beingsupported by cleats 8, attached to the inner walls 9 of the desk.

10 denotes a type-writer, the outlines of which I have indicated indotted lines in the sectional views. In use the type-writer rests upon asliding table 11, which in turn rests upon a vertically-movable bed 12.The table is provided with a central slot 13, extending from near theback toward the front, said slot being preferably protected by a metalplate 14. The sliding table is connected to the bed by means of one ormore screws 15, passing through'said slot and plate and firmly engagingthe bed, the plate being preferably countersunk, as shown in Fig. 7, sothat the head of the screw is flush with or slightly below the surfaceof the table. The opposite ends of the bed rest upon slides 16, whichare housed in suitable chambers 17 at the opposite sides of the centralspace underneath the type-writer chamber. Only one of the slide chambersand slides is shown in the drawings, the other chamber and slide beingsimply duplicates. Each of the slides is provided with a slot 18, saidslot being engaged by a block'19, secured to the inner walls of the deskby screws 20. W'ashers 21 are pro vided under the heads of these screws,which project over the edges of the slot and engage the slides, as isclearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The slides are thus held firmly inplace, but have free movement up and down in raising and lowering thetype-writer, as will presently be explained.

22 denotes lifting-rods hinged to the back portion of the cover at theends thereof, which pass down through slots 22" at the sides of the bed,one only of said rods being shown. The lower end of each rod passesfreely through an eye or keeper 28 upon one of the slides, and isprovided at its lower end with an enlargement 24, which engages theunder side of said eye or keeper, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5.

In the drawings, I have'shown the slots 18 in the slides as madeoblique, so as to carry the bed, type-writer, &c., forward as they arelifted upward, thus preventing contact of the type-Writer with thecover. This enables me to make the cabinet several inches narrower thanwould otherwise be necessary, as most styles of type-writers, if placedat the back of the bed and then raised vertically, would come in contactwith the cover, the bed traveling fastest. The angle at which the slotis placed may be varied to suit different styles of machines. Instead ofcausing the lower ends of the lifting-rods to slide through keepers onthe slides, and providing the liftingrods with enlargements to engagethe keepers, the lower ends of the lifting-rods maybe provided withslots engaged by pins on the slides. This being an obvious mechanicalexpedient, is not deemed to require illustration.

25 denotes a hand-piece at the front of the sliding table forconvenience in operating it.

The operation is as follows: The type-writer being placed upon thesliding table, as already stated, suppose the cabinet to be in theclosed position. The front portion 4 of the cover is turned over uponthe back portion 4;, and the two parts of the cover are then turned overto the position shown in Fig. 4. This raises the bed and sliding table,carrying the type-writer with them, from the position shown in Fig. 5 tothe position shown in Fig. 4c, in which position it will be noticed thatthe under surface of the sliding table is slightly above the surfaceofledge 7. In

practice the under side of the sliding table is protected by a strip offelt, (denoted in the drawings by 26.) As soon as the parts are in theposition just described the operator draws the sliding table forward.The weight of the type-writer is at this time supported from the backportion of the cover by means of the lifting-rods and slides. Theoperator next turns the cover down from the position shown in Fig. 4 tothat shown in Fig. 3. This causes the lower ends of the lifting-rods topass down through the eyes or keepers, as shown,

and allows the sliding table to settle down upon ledge 7, as shown inFig. 3. The slides 16, however, remain in the position shown, owing tothe fact that the rear portion of the sliding table and some of theweight of the type-writer still rest upon the bed. This causes the bedand slides to tilt forward slightly, so that the walls of the slots inthe slides bind upon blocks 19, thereby locking the slides and bed 'inthe raised position, where they remain until the cover is turnedbackward again.

The exact proportion of the parts is of course not of the essence of myinvention. I ordinarily so proportion them, however, that in the fullopen positionthat is, as shown in Fig. 3about two-thirds of the slidingtable will rest upon ledge 7, so that the greater portion of the weightof the type-writer will rest firmly upon said ledge. In closing thecabinet the parts of the cover are first turned to the position shown inFig. 4, which raises the lifting-rods and causes the enlargementsthereon to engage the eyes or keepers. The sliding table and typewriterare then pushed back to the position shown in Fig. 4, the entire weightbeing now supported from the cover. The cover is then turned down to theposition shown in Fig. 5, the type-writer, table, and bed also movingdown to the position shown. It will be seen that my present constructionis such as to give great leverage in lifting the machine, so that butlittle strength is required to lift the type-writer, which alwaysretains its proper position, so that there is no danger of its movingabout and thereby becoming injured in lowering and raising it, and thelifting mechanism is so simple and strong that breakage or getting outof repair is rendered practically impossible.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In atype-writer cabinet,the combination, with the cover, of lifting-rods hinged thereto, slidesengaged by said rods and carried obliquely upward and forward when thecover is raised, a bed carried by the slides, and a sliding tablecarried by the bed, said parts being so arranged that when the cover israised the bed and table are lifted upward and forward but retain thehorizontal position, and when the table is slid to its extreme forwardposition the cover may be lowered independently of the bed and table.

2. The combination, with the cover and the lifting-rods hinged thereto,of slides loosely engaged by said lifting-rods and having ob lique slotsand blocks 19 engaged by said slots, whereby the slides are retained inposition and are caused to move upward and forward obliquely when thecover is raised, a horizontal bed carried by said slides, and a slidingtable carried by the bed, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the cover and the lifting-rods hinged theretoand having enlargements at their lower ends, of the slides havingkeepers through which the lifting-rods slide and which are engaged bysaid-enlarge ments, and a bed carried by the slides.

45. The combination, with the ledge, cover, lifting-rods, and slides, towhich the lifting rods are loosely connected, of a bed carried by theslides which move obliquely upward and forward when the cover is raised,and a table carried by the bed, which is adapted to slide forward overthe ledge which supports it, thereby permitting the cover andliftingrods to be lowered independently of the bed, table, and slides.

5. The combination,with the cover, 1i ftingrods, and slides, of a bedcarried by the slides which move obliquely upward and forward when thecover is raised, a table having a slot 13, and a screw passing throughsaid slot and engaging the bed, so that the table may be drawn forwardwhen in the raised position, substantially as described.

ICC

6. In a typewriter cabinet, compartment 3, ledge 7, and a cover adaptedto close the compartment, in combination with slides carrying the bed,lifting-rods connected to the cover and to said slides, and a slidingtable connected to the bed and adapted to be drawn forward over theledge.

7. In a type-writer cabinet, ledge '7, the cover and lifting-rods hingedthereto and having enlargements at their lower ends, in combination withslides having keepers 23, through which the guide-rods slide and whichare engaged by said enlargement-s, oblique slots 18, blocks engagingsaid slots,a bed carried by said slides, and a sliding table secured tothe bed, said parts operating as described, and for the purpose setforth.

8. The ledge, sliding table, and bed, constructed as described, incombination with the cover, the lifting-rods hinged thereto, and theslides, which are connected to said lifting-rods and carry thebed,whereby,when the cover is raised the bed is lifted obliquely upwardand forward and the table may he slid forward over the ledge.

9. The cover, and the lifting-rods hinged thereto and havingenlargements at their lower ends, in combination with the slides havingkeepers thro ugh which the lifting-rods pass and which are engaged bysaid enlargements, and oblique slots 19, blocks lying in said slots, abed carried by the slides, and a sliding table connected to the bed,whereby, when the table is moved forward, and the lifting-rods lowered,the slides and bed will be tilted forward, causing the blocks to bind inthe slots and retaining the bed at the raised position.

10. The two-part cover, constructed as described, and the lifting-rodspivoted to the back portion thereof and having enlargements at theirlower ends, in combination with slides having keepers through which thelifting-rods pass and which are engaged by the enlargements, the bedcarried by the slides, and the sliding table connected to the bed.

11. The combination, with the slides, lifting-rods, bed, and slidingtable, of a cabinet having a compartment 3, adapted to receive the tableand a type-writer carried thereby, a ledge 7, and a two-part hingedcover, to the back portion of which the lifting-rods are hinged, thefront portion being provided with a piece 6, which engages the ledge inthe closed position.

12. The combination, with the slides, the lifting-rods loosely connectedthereto, and the bed and sliding table, of a cabinet having acompartment 3, adapted to receive the table and a type-writer carriedthereby, compartments 17,which inclose the slides, and acover to whichthe lifting-rods are hinged, said cover acting, when raised, to lift thebed, sliding table, and type-writer obliquely upward and forward, andwhen lowered to close compartment 3.

13. The combination,with the cabinet hav ing compartments 3 and 17,ledge 7, and cover 4 4c, of the slides having oblique slots, screwshaving washers wider than the slots, whereby the blocks and slides areheld in position, the bed and sliding table carried by the slides, andlifting-rods pivoted to the cover and connected to the slides.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB KIEFER. lVitnesses:

A. M. Woosrnn, BERTHA E. LEE.

